LINKS: Term Three Week Three

From the Principal

Catholic Education Week and Grandparent’s Day

Welcome to Catholic Education Week. Each year, in Week 3 of Term 3, we celebrate Catholic Education Week. Please be aware that Friday of Week 3, 26^th July, is a Pupil Free Day with staff heading to Toowoomba for Professional Learning. Please note that the office will be closed on this day.

As a part of our Catholic Education Week celebrations, this Thursday we will celebrate our Grandparents and significant elders. We will commence with a liturgy at 8.45am lead by our Year 2 cohort. We will then break into activities and share a Morning Tea with our Grandparents. On Tuesday, our Year 7 and 8 students hosted a Morning Tea for the op shop volunteers. We thank Mrs Karra Suhr for her leadership with this event. How blessed we are to be a part of a community of Faith, Hope and Love.

Behaviour Management Processes

Over the course of this year, we have been reviewing our Behaviour Management Processes and working to make these more streamlined and transparent. I would like to thank Mrs Nicki Wyllie and Mr John Shaw for their leadership with consulting with staff and the Senior Leadership Team to ensure these are reflective of the needs of our school. These new processes can be found on our website: click here to see our updated behaviour management process

Prep 2025

We are in the preparation stages for our Prep 2025 intake. Please make sure you have enrolled online. We will be having an information night and Twilight Tour on Monday 29^th July in the Library at 5.30pm and interviews will take place on 12^th and 13^th August prior to our Transition Days later this term and early next term.

Year 7-10 2025

For budgeting and staffing allocations, we need to know your intentions for 2025 across Years 7-10. Mr Bevin Goodes has sent out an intentions form for students in Years 6-9, please ensure this is completed so we can best cater for your children.

2025 Class Allocations

We will soon be thinking about staffing and class allocations for 2025. Our staff work with great care and dedication to ensure that we place students appropriately, knowing their strengths and needs within the classroom. While we will not be able to accommodate all requests, if there is something that you would like us to consider when allocating staffing and classes for next year, can you please let me know before the end of Term 3.

Eisteddfod

Our students are busily preparing themselves for Eisteddfod in Week 5. I thank all of our staff for their hard work with the preparation for this event! Good luck to all of our students.

Leadership Forum

This term’s Leadership Forum will be in Chinchilla and occurs Monday to Thursday of Week 5. I thank Mr John Shaw and the SLT for stepping up in my absence.

Miss Angela Collins
Principal

From the Deputy Principal

Hello St Mary’s community,

I was pleased to see that a number of you attended the Brad Huddleston public session the previous Sunday. I hope you got a lot out of it! The affects of screens on all of our brains is certainly something that is quite scary, especially for our children. Brad likens it to “digital cocaine”. The Year 7-10 students certainly listened intently to Brad during his presentation at St Mary’s, so time will tell if they change their viewing habits. We can all do with less screen time.

I had the privilege of attending a training course for two days last week. The presenter was very engaging and spoke with us about a number of topics, particularly around leadership. One of these was the idea of Green Frames versus Red Frames. This concept is about getting us to identify limiting paradigms in our thinking: Do we have a tendency to put a red frame around an issue? (i.e. negative thoughts such as “this is too hard”, “I can’t do it”, “why me?”...) This can result in us thinking that we are not in control, and feeling like a victim. Or do we/can we reframe it with a positive, green frame? (i.e."this will be a good challenge”, “I will learn to do it”, “what an opportunity for growth”…) We can retrain our minds to use green frames instead of red frames. Some food for thought for all of us!

God bless,

John Shaw
Deputy Principal

Religious Life

Dear God,

We gather in gratitude for the gift of Catholic Education, where we nurture the hearts and minds of our students in the light of your love.

Lord Jesus, you taught us the power of love, hope and faith. Help us to create communities that reflect Your teachings, where every student feels valued, supported and inspired to grow.

Holy Spirit, guide our educators, school officers and all who support our schools. Fill them with wisdom and patience and empower them to be examples of Your love and truth.

May our school be a place where faith flourishes, hope is renewed, and love is shared freely. Help us to see Christ in each other and to serve with joyful hearts.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord,

Amen.            

 Catholic Education Week

Celebrated annually in Week 3 of Term 3, Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all 312 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos. We commenced our celebrations with 4/5F leading us in a liturgy last Friday. Thank you to Mrs Bowman and her students for putting together such a great liturgy for us. Yesterday our Year 7 and 8 students hosted a morning tea for the local OP Shop volunteers in our community. We also ran a colouring in competition and today completed a wall in the undercover area answering the question, ‘What do you love about St Mary’s’. Tomorrow we look forward to welcoming all of our grandparents and grandparent figures, for grandparents tomorrow. Please note that Friday 26^th July is Bishop’s Inservice Day (Pupil Free Day) with all St Mary’s staff in attendance in Toowoomba.

Family Mass

Our next Family Mass is Sunday 18^th August at 9:00am. We will be unpacking the Gospel of Jesus being the bread of life. Join us for a relaxed morning of Mass, craft and a BBQ afterwards.

Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight,

Karra Suhr
Assistant Principal Religious Education

Secondary News

This term, our Hospitality classes have infused a vibrant energy into the school week, showcasing outstanding teamwork, inclusion, and skill among our students. We are impressed with how our students have conducted themselves, taking responsibility for producing nutritious and tasty meals not only for themselves but also for the wider community. Their commitment to inclusivity and safety has been commendable, as they consistently ensure that the hospitality room is clean and tidy for the next class. We look forward to the rest of this term, eager to see how our students continue to shine.

A dedicated group of volunteers has stepped up to care for our lovely chickens. These students will be engaged in nurturing our feathery friends, who have not disappointed us with their egg-laying abilities. This hands-on experience teaches students the importance of responsibility.

As students embrace these lessons, they develop a sense of ownership and pride in their work, reinforcing the idea that learning is a journey filled with opportunities for growth.

All students will learn that making mistakes is a crucial part of learning, whether they are tending to the chickens, experimenting with new recipes, or mastering budgeting skills. Each challenge they face cultivates resilience and confidence.

At St. Mary’s, we believe that everyone has the right to learn in a safe environment where students and staff can be vulnerable, knowing that mistakes are part of the learning process. We also emphasise the significance of respect for ourselves and our school. Wearing our uniforms with pride is a vital aspect of our school culture, reflecting our commitment to excellence and showing the world that we are proud members of the St. Mary’s community. When students wear their uniforms with pride each day, they not only present themselves well but also honor the values that St. Mary’s stands for: Faith, Community, Compassion, and Respect.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to making St. Mary’s a wonderful place to learn!

Mr Bevin Goodes
Assistant Principal Secondary

Sports Report

Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to the band of athletes who travelled to Toowoomba last Friday to compete in the Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival.  This day is always a great day for the students to compete against some of the best on the downs and gain extra practice before the Mac Zone Athletics Carnival.

Border District Athletics Carnival

The 2024 Border District Athletics Carnival is to be held in Warwick on Thursday, 25^th July.  Best of luck to Mila Field, Alice Pink, Jack Coggan and Parker Dillon who are competing.

Mac zone Athletics Carnival

A reminder that the Mac Zone Athletics Carnival is on Wednesday, 31^st July.  Please make sure all notes are returned.

State Rugby Union

A huge congratulations to Harry Baker and Charlie North who recently competed in the 12 years State Rugby Union Carnival.  Well done boys on your efforts.

Yours in Sport,

Kathy Spicer

(Kathy.Spicer@twb.catholic.edu.au)

Extension and Enrichment

ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is an historic academic competition that has been sat by over 10 million school students from 16,000 schools across 41 countries since 1981.

It recognises academic performance in a way similar to sports or the arts, with engaging, fun questions designed by psychometricians, education measurement experts and experienced teachers to test students’ higher-order thinking skills.

ICAS also provides rich insights into students’ strengths and weaknesses, and allows students to experience exam like conditions outside of the classroom. 

If you would like your child to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the link below, enter the Parent Payment Code and follow the prompts. Below are the costs and dates of the tests for 2024. Payment is due by Monday 29^th July, by midnight! Please email me if you have any questions.

Louise.cowley@twb.catholic.edu.au

Parent Payment System code: EWB392

Link to buy: https://shop.icasassessments.com//pages/pps

Louise Cowley
Extension and Enrichment

Library News

Book Club

Book club

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 5 due this Friday 26^th July 8pm

This issue contains:

Please order online through ‘the loop’ as we no longer accept cash orders at school.

All purchases contribute to funds for our school library with all popular fiction titles in our library purchased due to the funds raised through orders – we are most grateful for this – THANK YOU!

Emma Petrie
Teacher Librarian

Guidance Counsellor

Introducing ClearlyMe® a mental health app to see teens through tough times

When teenagers go through a tough time, it’s more than feeling low or sad. Tough times can also leave teens feeling stressed, worried or overwhelmed. It is normal for teens to feel these emotions, which usually arise as they learn to balance their studies and relationships or grapple with concerns like climate change. When these feelings last longer than expected, it can impact their mental health.

Almost one in four teens report experiencing mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. When it comes to depression, approximately 1 in 10 Australian teens aged 11–17 meet the criteria for a diagnosis. Finding the best type of help at the right time can be challenging. At this age, teens are reluctant to seek professional help. As parents, we recognise the difficulty in getting our teens to confide in us about their emotions or the challenges they face. Sometimes, we can be at a loss on how to initiate support or where to begin offering help.

Introducing ClearlyMe to your teen in four simple steps.

STEP 1

Download and get to know ClearlyMe – App Store or Google Play

Get to know the key features and how the app works. Demonstrating that you know what’s in the app is a significant first step in building confidence with your teen.

STEP 2

Introduce ClearlyMe to your teen

Set aside some time to show ClearlyMe to your teen. Explain that the app’s purpose is to support them if they are going through a tough time. For example, they may have expressed negative thoughts, been feeling down or low, or lacking motivation. If you think it’s helpful, highlight some of the app’s benefits and help them understand that it has been scientifically tested and there’s evidence that the activities are effective and help teens feel better.

STEP 3

Set realistic expectations

ClearlyMe can support your teen in the moment or over long periods. If they are learning CBT strategies for the first time, you can let them know these skills take time and practice to develop and that progress may be gradual. It is important to remind teens that ClearlyMe is only one tool to support their mental health and that it’s okay to take breaks or seek additional support if needed. The research has shown that ClearlyMe can help teens think and feel better during tough times. If we address concerns early, we can help them feel motivated, grounded and reassured to be their best selves and thrive in school and life.

STEP 4

Offer support and encouragement (optional)

It is important to remember that some teens will find it hard to share their experiences or might not want to talk at all. Since ClearlyMe can safely and effectively be used as a self-guided tool, checking in with your teen is optional, and it may just be to let them know they are supported if needed.

Paul Fomiatti
Guidance Counsellor

Student Council

P & F

Denise Ellis
President P&F

Other School News